Junior on the move?

There is a strong possibility that the Teo teams battling for the Super league title could well have a player loan deal agreement.

It is learnt that Junior Esdestal who is with JDT could well be moving to join Felda FC.

It is learnt that a formal approach has been made by Felda to JDT for the services of the national midfielder.

With JDT having many talented players, Junior has not been seeing much action and his move could help him regain his place in the starting line up of Harimau Malaysia.

The transfer window is open till July 15 and JDT is expected to decide before that.

There has also been a strong interest from JDT for Felda's  Hazrin  Azman and it will be interesting to see if a trade off is done

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OKS - Long hard road ahead

Was the objective of the Oceania Tour achieved?

In a way coach Dato Ong Kim Swee says it was partially achieved.

The national team embarked on a three nation tour, playing matches against Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia and  Fiji.

The lost 2-0 to Papua New Guinea, defeated New Caledonia 2-1 before being held to a 1-1 draw by Fiji.

Overall the team scored three goals and conceded four.

" Our aim was to win all three matches but that was not achieved," said Kim Swee after the draw against Fiji.

" However out main objective was to get the team to gel together and work on tactical aspects be in in Attack and Defence.

" That I believe was achieved as the team showed marked progress as the days went by.

" Their approach on training and matches has seen a steady rise and it built up their character well.

" In the Long run this will augur well as we look towards the AFF Cup in November."

Kim Swee utilised all 24 players in his training squad for the three matches with only Brendan Gan and Fadli Shas being in the starting XI in all three matches.

Several others, namely Fazly mazlan,  S. Kunalan, Christie Jayaseelan, Amirulhadi Zainal, Amri Yahyah, Fakri Shaarani and Badrol Bakhtiar  also played in all 3 games but but cane on as subs.

Kim Swee said that players like Christie, Brendan, Fadhli and Chanturu beside the seasoned players impressed him the most.

"To name one it's difficult but the overall contribution of certain players caught my eye," said Kim Swee.

" We have another Teo months before the next national call up and me and the coaching staff will be motoring the performances in the M-League and Makaysia Cup.

" I do expect to call up some new players and even drop those on this tour that slacken or did not do what was required.

" It is a process that has to be done and as time is the Essence I cannot do much chop and change as the frame work of the team is already in place.

" These matches gave me useful insights that I hope will help improve our performance in the months to come."

The national team is scheduled to play matches against Indonesia, Singapore and Afghanistan leading up to their November AFFCup date.

Flankers to the fore against Fiji

Despite the odds being stacked against his team, coach Dato Ong Kim Swee feels that his charges has what it takes to overcome Fiji on Sunday.

This is their third match of the Oceania Tour having lost 2-0 to Papua New Guinea and edged New Caledonia 2-1.

The searing heat ( it was almost 30 Celsius) on Saturday, coupled with a bumpy pitch and the fact that their opponents are in the final stages of their Rio Olympic preparation  will make it tough.

However Kim Swee loves challenges and feels that these factors can only spur his team to do well.

" We have to put aside issues like the kick off time , weather and pitch conditions and just concentrate on getting a good result and putting up a decent performance," said Kim Swee.

" it is not going to be a walk in the park just because they are ranked lower then us.

" From what I have observed they are a very fast opponent that rely on speed and quick breaks to troubles the opponents.

" While we want to win, it will be a game of caution in the first quarter of the match as we try to adept to the conditions and pace the game accordingly."

Kim Swee is expected to make several changes to the team, due to tactical reasons as well as injuries.

In goal keeper Khaurul Fahmi Che Mat is expected to get the nod.

And with the fact that width has been a key factor for Malaysia, Kim Swee is expected to start with S. Chanturu and Christie Jaysseelan on the right and left respectively.

The coach has used three different players in the left - Christie, Zaquan Adha and Khair Jones so far in the last four matches.

" I needed to try out who best suits the role as all can play in that position," explained Kim Swee.

" It is the same with strikers as I have options such as Hazwan, Amirulhadi, Kumarahan and Zaquan."

The tried and tested duo of Hazwan and Amirulhadi are expected to be given the nod.

In midfield Kim Swee is expected to retain the two B's - Brendan Gan and Badrol Bakhtiar.

" Aa I stated before, we planned to expose players in this tour as our main objective but are also under pressure to win matches," said Kim Swee

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The Twins set to roar again

For Aidil Zafuan Radzak , the recall of his twin Brother  Zaquan Adha Radzak into the national team is the best piece of news for him.

The twins last played together for the national team in 2012 and Aidil is happy that his twin is alongside him as the national team is on the path of redemption in the international scene.

" I am so happy for him as all his hard work has paid dividends," said Aidil when contacted in Fiji where the national team will play the hosts on Sunday.

" With Zaquan on the pitch I feel so comfortable and we know each other's gave so well."

The Negri Sembilan born twins first donned national Colours when they were members of the U20 team that emerged runners-up at the AFF Under 20 tournament in Palembang, Indonesia.

However Zaquan is a doubtful starter for Hye match against Fiji having suffered a hair line fracture on his wrist during the match against New Caledonia on Wednesday which Malaysia won 2-1.  

Aidil said that the current national team is shaping up well and he is happy with the progress shown.

" When we lost the match against Papua New Guinea I could see the players were very disappointed," said the skipper.

" They aimed to prove their critics wrong and did just that as they gave it their all against New Caledonia.

" Out last game against Fiji will be another tough encounter but we are in the right spirit.

" We aim to win this one and the players have assured me that they will deliver a positive result before we break camp and head back home."

Aidil said that the national team has received its fair share of brick bats over the years for its inconsistent performance.

" We are on the right track here and one significant change I see is the close co-operation between the players and the coaching staff," said Aidil.

" Give us some time and I assure the fans that we will make them proud."

Amirul aims to score more

Having ended his barren run, Amirulhadi Zainal is looking to find the back of the net more often for the national team.

After firing blanks in matches against Myanmar, Timor Leste (2) and New Caledonia, the striker scored the equaliser in Malaysia's 2-1 win over New Caledonia on Wednesday.

Though many had question coach Dato Ong Kim Swee"s decision to name and persist with Amirul, it paid off eventually.

" I am relieved to have scored finally and hopefully this will be the start of many more to come.

" I am thankful to the coach for his confidence in me and while my critics wrote me off, my coach kept his faith in me.

Amirul last donned the national jersey in 2011.

"It was tough as I missed many goalscoring chances but it was just a matter of getting the first goal' said Amirul who scored in the 48th minute.

" This is a morale booster and the goal will give me the confidence to find the back of the net on s regular basis."

For Kim Swee, the fact that Amirul and Badrul Bakhtiar both scored augurs well for the team.

" It was a well deserved win and New Caledonia are not an easy side to overcome," said Kim Swee when contacted in Sydney while in transit to Fiji.

" We played the right tactical game after watching the first half knowing we had to play an attacking game to match them."

Kim Swee said that other then a wrist injury suffered by Zaquan Razak, the other players came off unscathed from the match.

The coach is also expected to give Khairul Fahni Che Mat a chance to play in the match against Fiji.

" We will see how he fares in training over the next few days and decide later," added Kim Swee whose team is expected to arrive in Fiji on Thursday afternoon at 2.30pm Malaysian time.

Contrary to what done assume is a tour to enjoy the sights and beaches of the three countries, Kim Swee and his charges have been undergoing gruelling sessions both on and off the pitch.

For instance after the match against New Caledonia that ended at 7pm Malaysian time, the team barely had any rest as they headed to catch a flight to Sydney at 2.30am. And after a 4 hour transit in Sydney it is onwards to Fiji.

" We will have a light stretching session upon arrival and hit the field in the morning," said Kim Swee.

" I marvel at the players who are fasting yet at the sane time give it their all in training and matches." 

The Real Reason !

There is no such thing as Khairul Fahmi Che Mat returning from the national team training camp in Australia.

Simply because the Kelantan goalkeeper was never on the flight to Gold Coast in the first place .

This was because Khaiul was stopped at the  KLIA 2 departure by immigration as he was on the no fly list of the Income Tax Department.

FAM Secretary Dato Hamidin Mohd Amin said that they were caught unawares on the restriction on Khairul.

" This is a personal issue and even the player may not be aware he had a problem with Income Tax," clarified Hamidin.

"So there is no truth to talk that Khairul came back from the national camp due to issues within the team.

"However Khairul will join the team for their match in New Caledonia."

Hamidin said that FAM will be more vigilant in the future as they intend to cross check each player with immigration in order to prevent such an incident from happening again.

" I hope all will understand that income tax is a personal matter and that FAM cannot and should not be held responsible."

Life in a nutshell

It will be three years come July 7 when I lost the person I most cherished in my life, my Mum.

It was on June 22 that I actually lost her as she slipped into a coma, never came out of it and went on to meet her maker at 10.04 on July 7 with me standing haplessly at her bedside.

That 30 minutes preceding to her demise was the only time I was with her alone at the hospital as in all past occasions I was in the company of other family members.

I can still remember the words of the nurse who walked up to me as I was typing on the key board of my laptop the match report for the World Hockey League Semi Finals held in Johor Baru.

As I walked in to the CCU, I saw the machines shutting down one by one as the blood pressure dropped and her heart stopped, all within 8 minutes. She went peacefully with me clutching her hands as tears streamed down my cheeks, as they are now while I pen this sitting on her bed in Tampin.

The whole world crumbled on me and it was that day I realised that we are nothing but just a breath away from death, miss one breath and we are just a memory.

Life has been extremely unkind to me since my Mum went, the pillar of my strength no more around for me to lean on, I had no one to lean on, no one to confide in and most importantly no one to love.

It left at devastating mark on me emotionally, something that I have never managed to overcome till today.

Many may see me as having overcome the loss, but only I know how I have faked happiness over the past three years. Never have I felt so alone over these years as I do today.

A year after I lost my Mum I was told I had diabetes and lost my small toe on April 2014. That led to numerous visits to the operation Theatres, a total of 4 overs two month period.

Losing my toe was it a shirting as losing all my jobs, especially in Hockey as vultures moved in to make the kill. I was left with nothing and struggled.

And a year later more woes as Doctors told me on April 22,2015 that my kidneys were no longer functioning to their ability and I had to start dialysis.

My world crumbled, the pain and suffering unbearable but I had to live for I had to care for my Dad. I had promised my Mum on her deathbed as I whispered for her that it was okay for her to go and meet her meet her maker as I would look after Dad.

That was not the end of my problems as I later started losing vision on my eyes and in September 2015  I underwent my first cornea transplant Abd it followed by another in April this year,

The vision was returning but alas my diabetes caused bleeding 

behind my eyes and I had yo have injections into both my eyes that cost a bomb.

How could I carry on? Here I am jobless for the past two years,hardly earning a cent and surviving through the goodwill of friends not family.

I tried to get jobs, tried to secure things I could do, which is media services but time and again was played out by those who I sled friends in the past. These people are not worthy as friends as they merely are vultures that fly above, waiting to devour your flesh as you lay without any hope.

I am grateful to the former juniors of 199--1993 who got together to help me financially, helping me raise money which was used for my dialysis costs and cornea transplants. I also withdrew my EPF to help me through these tough times.

There have been individuals who helped me both financially and emotionally cope over the past two years as my family drifted away as today I am all alone, only my Dad to call family as my siblings, nephews and nieces all moved away, who wants to be associated with the "walking dead".

As I undergo dialysis three times a week, I watch others in the same boat as me, how they have their loved ones pick them up or spend the four hours sitting beside them sharing conversations and do forth as I sit on my chakras if condemned by God and society.

To my detractors, I ask you to do one thing, spend five hours sitting on a chair doing nothing. Try it and see if you can last one session. I do this 3 times a week Abd every Friday I do my dialysis at 6am so I can take the noon train to Tampin.

I have tried, pleased and begged for a job to fend for myself but Toño avail, so many influential persons in my life in the past but none lift a finger to help me as I have served my purpose to them, they got what they wanted so I am now a liability.

As I go through the days, hoping and praying silently that God ends this misery of mine so I can be reunited with Mum, I am reminded that my 84 year old Dad still needs me, that I made a vow to my Mum on that fateful day of July 7.

Over the past six months I have been promised jobs to do but it was just a way for these people yo further exploit me. Some used me over the years to get to where they are, some continue to do so, some wills entirely do the same.

I am fortunate in a way that after undergoing 12 operations in two years, I have a handful of people who are true friends, as they contact me regularly, keeping me sane with their encouragement and words of advice. I shall not name them as they know who they are, the same as those who know that mere words of theirs have caused me more pain.

So where now from here!

Well my life is razor thin, when money runs out so does dialysis and with that death comes knocking, maybe that's the best solution as many will be elated with that,

I have put off eye injections for its just money I do not have and have told myself that if I cannot earn it then do not spend it, so injections will wait till I get some jobs or turn blind, which ever comes first.

Look at the bright side though - at least I will no longer see the wickedness of this world.

To those who have promised to help or put sand in my rice owl, I beg God"s mercy for you as I pray that you do not undergo what I went through , that God gives you a chance to make good what you have done wrong,

As I wail in silence three years after losing my Mum, I want all to realise that we are what we are because of our parents. Love and cherish them as Long as we are fortunate to have them around, for we owe it to them to give them the best we can.

Happy Fathers Day to all and please take care.

Kim Swee blasts critics

A heart to heart talk with the players after their morning pool session has given coach Dato Ong Kim Swee fresh optimism ahead of the two matches of their Oceania Tour.

Having lost 2-0 to lowly ranked Pspua New Guinea, the national team has been branded as "clowns" by one papers while another said they had no space to report on "rubbish".

These remarks left a deep impact on Kim Swee and his charges, as although he felt it was unfair to judge them without actually seeing the performance and solely basing on the result, Kim Swee is taking the sensational reporting in his stride.

And the players, though hurt by these reports, have promised to pull up their socks in the two remaining matches against New Caledonia and  Fiji.

The team headed back to Brisbane Saturday afternoon where they will train over the weekend before leaving for New Caledonia on Monday.

" It's easy to criticise without actually watching the match and just basing it on the end result," said Kim Swee before the team left Papua New Guinea.

" Our opponents are a very good side and their rankings are not a fair reflection of their ability.

" Only last week they took New Zealand to penalties in the Nations Cup final and mind you the Kiwis have made the World Cup. So are the Kiwis rubbish and clowns as well?

" I admit that we were below par in our performance and perhaps I should not have made so many changes in the hindsight.

" But the tour has several objectives amongst which is to give fringe players a chance to stake their claim."

Kim Swee said that he will now field the best available players in the remaining two matches.

Though this will not be in line with his objective of exposing players and building a strong bench, at least it will stop the critics from passing unfounded and baseless comments against the team.

" I will field the best players in the next two matches and hopefully we get a positive result,"added Kim Swee.

" Though it will mean that some players will not see action, this will also serve as a wake up call for them to do better in training and prove their ability."

With that in mind the coach is expected to retain the same line up as was the case  in the matches against Timor Leste early June.

With the exception of the goalkeeper that might be rotated amongst the three in the squad, those who played in the second leg of the Timor Leste match could well be pencilled in as the first XI for the match against New Caledonia.

" I am not offering excuses but we must accept the fact that we are not good enough yet," clarified Kim Swee.

" As I said we need time and results at times do not go our way.

" No doubt some players let me down but it's unfair to generalise and condemn the entire team as failures.

"I have told the players to let their performance on the field to do their talking in response to this negative aspersions cast on the team."

Players lack desire, OKS sums it up

The knives were already being sharpened just minutes after the national Football team lost 2-0 to Papua New Guinea in their first match of the Oceania Tour.

There is no doubt that the defeat was unacceptable and coach Dato Ong Kim Swee was the first to admit that.

And in a post match statement, Kim Swee lambasted the attitude and performances of some players in the team, citing that this was the cause of the defeat.

" PNG as I said is a good team physically and fast. They did not  give us a lot of room to keep possession with 90 mins pressing," said Kim Swee.

" The two goals concede d were as a result of lack of concentration and most frustrating for mas that certain players do not show desire.

" When I made five changes from 1st half  team, its  a  clear signal for those who were taken out to buck up!

" PNG players showed that they want more from this game instead of us. "

Having made all six changes by the 65th minute, Malaysia were forced to play the last 20 minutes with 10 players as Shahrol Kalam was injured.

" Even with 10 players we managed to create chances with twice hitting the post," added Kim Swee.

" I will still making changes against Caledonia and Fiji. 

"At the end of the this trip it will give me a good view on who should be kept for next assignment and who should be dropped."

Kim Swee said that the objectives of Oceania tour were amongst others improving as a team with giving everyone chance to play at the same time getting good results.

" I know I can't achieve  all that but I believe at the end of the tour we will gain something, " said Kim Swee who was bitterly sad with the defeat.

" The result is frustrating but  the attitude and character of certain players  is unacceptable.

" I will rather play with 9 instead of 11 if the two players do not show character and desire when on the pitch,"

OKS opts for changes

Up to seven changes to the starting line up are expected in the national Football team as they line up for the first of their three match Oceania Tour with a match against Papua New Guinea this Friday.

Although many may view it drastic, coach Dato Ong Kim Swee however feels that even making up to seven changes will not affect the overall performance of the team.

" All players have the ability and desire to don the national jersey and they have shown their commitment and passion in the training sessions," said Kim Swee when contacted in Brisbane, the venue  of the national team training camp.

" It is therefore not a question of experimenting but to me it's giving players the opportunity to display their ability on the pitch.

" I hope to give  each player at least 70 minutes of play over the three matches to enable them to prove themselves.

" The important thing here is to build a strong team and to do that we need depth on the bench.

" Having more players competing for a position augurs well for the team in the future."

With that in mind Kim Swee is expected to give Farhan Abu Bakar  the nod to keep goal.

Other changes are likely to see either C. Kumarahan or Zaquan Adha partnering Amirul Hadi upfront in search of goals with regular striker Hazwan Bakri  on the bench.

With the key to exposure, Kim Swee might also bench S.Kunalan, Christie Jayaseelan, Brendan Gan or Bafrol Bakhtiar.

In their place will be Junior, Mahali, Mohd Khairi and Ahmad Suhaimi Latif.

"As a coach I have to make changes and give all players a chance as a team is not made out of a couple of players' added  the Malacca born coach.

"Many may question why I persist with Anirul but I believe he just needs to find the elusive goal and after that he will be more lethal.

" It is not a question of tinkering with a winning team but to build a national team that can be consistent.

" Yes results do matter, but I believe whoever I'd fielded will be able to carry out their responsibilities well."

Kim Swee further warned that inept performances could well see some players being dropped from future national call ups.  

Gruelling Sessions For Players

The national Football team has been undergoing gruelling training sessions upon their arrival at Brisbane.

And coach Dato Ong Kim Swee paid tribute to the Muslim players in his squad as they observed the fasting and at the same time gave it their all at training sessions.

Bearing in mind that it is the month of Ramadhan, Kim Swee holds his training sessions at 8pm as the players break fast at 5.10pm thus giving them ample time to digest the food and do their prayers.

The first training session , albeit for 90 minutes was held on Sunday night, hours after the team arrived at Brisbane, their training base before they embark on a 3 match tour against Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia and Fiji.

" The boys look good and hope we can keep consistent from last two games, " said Kim Swee when contacted in Brisbane.

" We had a short training yesterday ( Sunday) as we just arrived in the morning. 

"The next three sessions will be intensive and focussing on tactical aspects."

The 115 minutes training sessions are held at the Queensland Sport and Athletic Centre where the pitch is a sight to behold.

Malaysia will travel to Papua New Guinea on Thursday for their first match scheduled on Friday.

Although there have been reports of unrest in PNG, Kim Swee said that he feels the match will not be affected.

" Of course we are monitoring the situation but things are much calmer now. So really I do not think the match will be called off," said Kim Swee who added that the FAM Security Ifficer with the team was monitoring the situation closely.

" These matches are vital to our preparations and I can sense the players are raring to go."

Kim Swee added that all the players had no injury problems and he had a tough choice naming his first X1 for the first match.

" While changes are inevitable as I want to give all players an opportunity to prove their worth, it will not be so drastic that it affects our performance," said Kim Swee.

" I need to look at variations in terms in players playing in different positions and see how best to maintain our style of play,

" With the players showing healthy competition, it augurs well for the team as a whole as we have depth on the bench, and that is a key ingredient in charting success." 

3 Nation Tour - OKS Hopes and Aspirations

The National Football team departs for their Oceania Tour tonight and will play three matches against Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia and Fiji.

The team of 24 players will be initially based in Brisbane and have it all to prove to Malaysian Football critics that they are on the path of redemption.

Below is the thoughts of coach Dato Ong Kim Swee on what the aim of the tour, the targets, the opponents and what he hopes to achieve with the squad in their build up to the AFF Cup in November.

  The National Team will be leaving for the Oceania Tour tonight.

Having successfully negotiated our way past Timor Leste, we will next play three matches during our trip to Down Under.

The team will hold training sessions in Brisbane before the play against Papua New Guinea - 193 , New Caledonia  and 183, Fiji - 186.

Malaysia will play Papua New Guinea next Friday, New Caledonia on June 22 and Fiji on June 26.

And the three nations are well prepared to play Malaysia after having completed their participation in the Oceania Nations Cup where 

Papua New Guinea made the final while Fiji were edged out  1-0 by New Zealand and one must also remember that  Fiji have also qualified for the Rio Olympics.

These three teams should rightfully have higher rankings but for their lack of international matches due to their geographical location.

During the 20 day tour I hope to work on rectifying several areas that we lacked in the two matches against Timor Leste.

Upfront on my mind is to build up team work as we had very little time to do that.

Cohesion ,tactical discipline, fitness and  creativity is something that I will be emphasising on during the training sessions.

And not forgetting finishing as well as Defence for although we have shown marked improvement it is still not up to the mark required in International matches.

Though some may say we are up against three nations that do not have much success in international Football, we wil treat every team with respect.

Our aim is not only to win the three matches but improve our ability with regards to midfield and strikers but also this will put our Defence under severe scrutiny as we will be up against physically stronger opponents.

I aim to give all players the opportunity to prove their worth and no player is guaranteed his place in the team.

I will also be trying out players in different positions to analyse their versatility as well as have more options from the team perspective.

The door is not closed on players who have not made the squad this time around and the coaching staff will continue to monitor matches in the M-League.

Let's hope that our aims and objectives are achieved and at the sane time appeal to the media, fans and all those involved in Malaysian Football to work together for the success of the team. 

The venue for the three matches are Port Moresby, Noumea and Suva respectively.

OKS has feet firmly on the ground

National coach Dato Ong Kim Swee was perplexed that some quarters raised the issue of a "silent protest" by players a day before the crucial first leg playoff against Timor Leste.

And the Malacca born was left scratching his head to figure out what was the agenda of the critics in raising this issue at a crucial time.

Labelling the accusation as akin to sabotage, Kim Swee voiced out his feelings when the question was posed to him at the post match press conference at the Larkin Stadium.

The issue arised after a question  was posed to FAM President Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah on Wednesday on the possibility of players conducting a "silent protest" in relation to the lack lustre performances of the national team lately.

" This was a shocking accusation against the players and we had a heart to heart talk with the team," said Kim Swee.

" We wanted to know if there really was such an issue and frankly the players themselves wee just as shocked as the coaches and management.

" I believe we have a good relationship between the players and coaches and as such treat all these accusations merely as sensationalism by some quarters to gain fame or any other agenda they may have.

Kim Swee said that the performance of the players on the pitch last night against Timor Leste was a perfect way to answer these accusations.

" If there was any doubt on the players commitment to the national cause, it was answered by the performance over the 90 minutes," said Kim Swee who said that he did not want to react to the accusation before the match,

" It was a good win and really we should have scored more had we been more clinical in our finishing.

" This is only the first half as we have another 90 minutes to play on Monday night." 

Chong Wei Flag Bearer for Rio Olympics

Lee Chong Wei feels both honoured and elated after being named as the Malaysian flag bearer for the Rio Olympics in August this year.

The decision to name Chong Wei was made by the Olympic Council of Malaysia at its board meeting held at Wisma OCM.

Chong Wei who is in Jakarta spoke exclusively to this blog after the decision was made.

"It is truly an honour and words cannot describe how I feel right now," said Chong Wei.

" As a sportsman this is something we look forward too and being given the opportunity finally is a dream come true for me.

" I will carry the Jalur Gemilang with pride , the same as I wear it on my chest when on the Badminton court."

This will be Chong Wei"s third and most likely final Olympics, having participated in Beijing 2008 and London 2012, both of where he won a silver medal.

Chong Wei said the with Badminton being played in the later stage in Rio ( Badminton starts on August 11 while opening is August 5) this gave him an opportunity to participate in the opening ceremony.

" This will be my first as a flag bearer in any multi sports event having participated in the Olympic, Asian and Commonwraltj Games," said Chong Wei.

" I must thank the Sports Minister Khairy Janaluddin, OCM, KBS and BAM for their faith in me."

Badminton will lead the way for Malaysia at the Rio Olympics as the two front men will both be from the sport,

" Badminton is honoured to have two personalities leading the nation on Rio. The selection of Chong Wei as the flag bearer and Tan Sri Al Amin as the Chef De Mission is truly a reflection of confidence in the duo and a recognition to Badminton as a sport," said Dato Sti Norza Zakaria who is the Deputy President of BAM and OCM

Chong Wei is hoping to regain the world number one ranking this week by winning the Indonesian Open,

And his cause was further given a boost as China"sLin Dan was sent packing in second round Indon Open by Jonathon Christie , losing 21-12,21-12.